Tuesday, December 08, 2009

I'd talk about the weather ...

but then I'd look kind of silly. Because I want to say HOW COLD IT IS ... (39 at the moment), but as soon as I click on over to Dayton, I find it's 11 degrees there; and Port Angeles is at 33 degrees; so I know I don't have much to say.

However - I just looked at Phoenix ... holy cow! 27 degrees? I do believe hell is freezing over.

And now that I've started, I guess I might as well finish. Seems the brief coldness (and snow-dusting) experienced by Ark, LA, and Al is over. McGehee is reporting a tropical 56 degrees, Selma is in the same neighborhood at 52 degrees, and Wisner, LA is following the trend.

Today - is shopping day for the weekly Wednesday night dinner. This week though is pot luck (meaning the church members are bringing the dinner) and I only have to prepare the salad bar (plus I am making two salads, because yes, it is true. I cannot leave "well enough" alone when it comes to food). I anticipate just one cart at Sam's - and a quick 30 minute trip. (Compared to my typical 2-cart excursion that takes close to an hour and a half.) Maybe I won't have to go to 3-stores today either. Just Sam's and a regular grocery store. Oh what luxury.

Of course this means I have more time for the job search - and to file all the paperwork (bills, expense reports) for the kitchen. Oh how I miss the days (more than 10 yrs ago) when I had a secretary to do all that for me.

17 days 'till Christmas. I am debating if I want to get the stuff down from the attic to decorate or not. Last year I was up in the mountains for Thanksgiving - and bought a live tree. This year I cannot justify the expense. And we all know I'm rather grinch-like to begin with ... so the idea of going up the ladder and down with boxes of crap that will need to be undecorated is SO not appealing. Yet - I don't want to ignore this season. Hmm - maybe I'll just decorate the mantle.

I think one of the nicest holiday surprises happened the year I was working like a crazy person in California. I was in the office by 5 or 5:30 am - and usually there 'till about 10pm each night. Except Wednesday nights when, I'd pull an all-nighter because of a government deadline that occurred at 1pm on Thursdays. It was during this December madness that my Aunt Pen-Pen asked if she could borrow something from my home - and could she just have the key and go get it herself? Of course I said yes.

Two days later, when I pulled up to my house at 10:15pm - there was a twinkling-blinking glow coming from my living room. In a rush I turned off the alarm, unlocked the front door - and saw - to my amazement - a completely decorated mantle. Greenery, lights, ornaments, and small figurines bringing Joyeux Noël to me. Each night I would come home, poor two fingers of Scotch and watch them peacefully blinking on and off and think about the amazing gift that love can bring to our lives.

Perhaps I need to decorate my mantle so I can remember that this year too.

A little bit of anything Christmasy will make you feel better than none at all. Since you can't go home this Christmas and you folks won't be coming back here, what are you doing for Christmas ? Any invites ?It's such a lonely time to be home alone - we know ! tp